Passenger Dragged Off Plane by Authorities After Allegedly Fighting with Cabin Crew Over Turning Off Her Cellphone

NEED TO KNOW

• A passenger obtained into a bodily dispute over turning off her cellphone, an airline claims, main her to be dragged of the airplane by authorities

• Ibom Air issued a assertion about the incident, alleging that Ms. Comfort Emmanson “posed a serious threat to the safety” of its crew, passengers and plane

• The airline also said the girl has been banned from flying with the company, citing its “zero-tolerance policy”

A passenger was dragged off a airplane in Nigeria after allegedly refusing to change off her cellphone.

The incident occurred on Sunday, Aug. 10 on an Ibom Air plane that was touring from the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the airline confirmed in a assertion shared on Facebook.

The airline recognized the passenger as Ms. Comfort Emmanson, claiming that her “conduct posed a serious threat to the safety” of crew, passengers and the plane.

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The airline explained that she had reportedly been “instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures, to switch off” her cellphone, including that the pilot-in-command also made an announcement.

Another passenger sitting next to Emmanson then allegedly took her telephone and switched it off, prompting “a verbal tirade” from her, the airline said, including that “the situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.”

After the airplane arrived in Lagos, Emmanson reportedly “waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront” the crew member who had instructed her to flip off her telephone, alleging that she tore off the flight attendant’s wig, eliminated her glasses and “slapped her several times.”

The second was captured on digital camera, per a video shared by the Associated Press, with the clip displaying the passenger being dragged down the plane’s steps.

Ibom Air alleged in the assertion that Emmanson had also “attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.”

The pilot-in-command ended up alerting security, and the passenger was “restrained and removed from the aircraft by force,” the airline continued including that Emmanson was then taken into custody by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) security before being handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for additional investigation.

Emmanson will no longer be permitted to fly with the airline, the airline famous in its assertion, including that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent conduct that threatens the safety of passengers, crew or equipment.”

“Safety remains our highest priority. We urge all passengers to comply with crew instructions at all times for the safety, security and comfort of everyone on board,” the airline concluded.

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According to the AP, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), addressed the incident by saying, “When cabin crew ask you to turn off your phone before takeoff or landing, simply comply.” He added, “I can’t understand why simple routine issues would lead to incidents like this. Passengers need to understand they have responsibilities, not just rights.”

However, in a assertion posted to X, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the airline’s actions, demanding that “Ibom Air immediately withdraw the lifetime ban, issue a public apology to Ms. Emmanson, and cooperate fully with an impartial investigation into this incident.”

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Ibom Air, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s Achimugu and the Nigerian Bar Association did not immediately reply when contacted by PEOPLE for extra info.

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